The election of a county recorder is not unimportant – it is – but elections for Hamilton County Recorder are generally sleepy affairs, with the candidates involved largely ignoring each other as they try to build name recognition.

Not this year. At least not on the Republican side.

The contest for the GOP is between two well-known Republicans, one looking to return to elected office, the other looking to stay in public office.

WVXU politics reporter Howard Wilkinson talked with news director Maryanne Zeleznik Monday about the possibility of a divisive Republican primary for Hamilton County commissioner, with two Cincinnati council members, Charlie Winburn and Christopher Smitherman, looking like they will get into the race.

Two people can be pals and political allies, and then, after the next sunrise, became political rivals, eyeing each other warily and ready to slug it out before the voters if necessary.

It happened this past week.

The allies-turned-combatants: Two Cincinnati city council members, Republican Charlie Winburn and independent Christopher Smitherman, both of whom pulled petitions Tuesday to run in the March 15 GOP primary for Hamilton County Commissioner.

Despite being outspent by at least four-to-one, former Cincinnati council member Cecil Thomas held the 9th Ohio Senate District for the Democrats, rolling over Republican Charlie Winburn in an easy win.

With 100 percent of the unofficial vote counted, the 61-year-Democrat took 57 percent of the vote to 43 percent for Winburn.

Winburn spent over $300,000 since July trying to win the seat and become the only African-American Republican in the Ohio Senate Republican Caucus.

When Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley unveiled his city budget plan in mid-May, his hand-picked chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, Republican Charlie Winburn, vowed that the budget would be passed by June 4.

No waiting around until the last minute, Winburn said – which, in this case, would have been June 30.

And he did. Council passed that budget Wednesday, although they still have to deal with the issue of a water rate increase.

A couple of seats in the Ohio legislature could make for interesting races. WVXU Political Reporter Howard Wilkinson talks about one seat held by Democrats for decades where a formidable Republican could be running and another where the incumbent is facing charges and could be on trial during the election.